Mystic Falls: Strange Happenings
by DangerousVisions
Summary: Tessa Lackley moves to Mystic Falls to live with her reclusive grandmother, after her mother's marriage to another man. Unknowingly, Tessa accidently unleashes a dangerous force the minute she steps foot on Mystic Falls soil.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Tessa looked out the window of the airplane, with a strange expression. Her stomach fluttered with a strange sensation but she shook it off just as it came. She was looking over the Virginia area. She was landing in the Georgetown Airport and then a long drive in a taxi would bring her to her reclusive grandmother in a place called Mystic Falls. Tessa secretly found the name "Mystic Falls" intriguing and was hoping to discover some history of the town. Maybe Grams would tell her about it. Though that was highly unlikely. Grams was already extremely reluctant to take her in. She was not very old, but ever since the death of her husband she closed up from the world, shutting herself out. The only reason she even agreed to take her granddaughter, was because at home Tessa's life was extremely difficult. She was never going to forgive her mother for marrying another man. Her father, Peter, had died young of Leukemia, when his only daughter was twelve. She still cried when she thought about him- his fearless courage and how much he loved his daughter and wife. Lisa, Tessa's mother, however, had gotten over her husband's death quickly, and within two years she had had three boyfriends. Then she met Luke Benjamin, and decided he was the perfect match and had gone through with the marriage. Tessa didn't mind Luke; in fact he was genuinely a nice person. But by Lisa marrying him, she was destroying the love she one day had for Peter, or at least Tessa believed so. So, Tessa went to her only other living relative, that she knew of, and begged her to take her. Lisa had tried to insist that Tessa stay with her, but Tessa had politely told her mother that since she was sixteen, she would be always in her mother and step- father's way. They wanted to start new lives, have babies, and they couldn't restart with Tessa there. After one month of persuasion, Grams agreed to take her only son's daughter. Tessa sighed, for she wasn't sure how this new life she was about to embark upon would turn out to, but she felt in the right thing to do. She could remember herself, only nights before she would leave, looking up at the stars, and whispering, "Daddy is it right? Is it?" The feeling that had washed over her, told her that her father did indeed approve of her choice.

"We will be landing shortly at the Georgetown airport," said a cackling voice over the loud speaker which belonged to the pilot. "The temperature is slightly above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the skies are slightly cloudy, with expected rainfall." Tessa smiled, it sounded like a weather report that would force her to stay indoors. Then she might be able to get some good history about Mystic Falls, when she searched the house.

The plane landed approximately ten minutes after the pilot had made his announcement. The pilot came on again, repeating what he had before and this time he wished everyone an enjoyable stay if they were on vacation and if they were returning home, he welcomed them back. Tessa got off the plane and walked quickly to customs, she wanted to leave the airport as immediately as possible. Baggage claim, proved more of a problem for Tessa, however, then she expected. After customs, she entered the baggage claim area, waiting to pick up her suitcase, as she hadn't brought much, other than her proper necessities. She had carried a couple of books in her carry- on, but that was about it. Her luggage only contained her clothes and toiletries. Tessa was waiting with other people from the airplane, for the baggage to come. But there seemed to be a problem with the conveyor belt. Outburst broke out amongst the crowd, of how lazy the staff was and that they were in a rush. A man stepped forward blowing a whistle.

"Settle down," he said. "There seems to have been a problem with the luggage. Many of your luggages has been ripped open and things may have been stolen. We have a couple of baggage left, that haven't been open and we will send them out as soon as possible. If you are one of the people who receives your baggage, please proceed to the help area, where your possibilities for luggage replacement will be discussed. We will send the ripped open baggage out to the help area, where you can claim yours and check out the damage." Instead of calming down, the crowd roared with anger, yelling and screaming…"Hell to the security"...."Damn that stupid airlines"...."Useless excuse for protection." Tessa waited at least an hour until luggage was released from the conveyor belt. Luckily for her, one of the suitcases were hers. She walked past an old lady at the help area weeping about a prized possession which she had lost. A glamorous woman stepped out with all of her Louis Vuitton suitcases intact. _She's lucky_, thought Tessa_. You would think someone would want something from her suitcases_. Tessa quickly got her taxi and drove toward her new life.

By the time she got there it was nightfall. Grams saw the car pulling up, but didn't bother to come outside. Tessa took her baggage out of the trunk, paid and thanked the driver and made her way to the door. She rang the bell carefully. Grams opened the door and looked her over.

"You're too thin," she announced and Tessa suppressed a sigh. _Some welcome,_ she thought. "What did that woman feed you, girl?" Grams frowned. "Why did I marry my son to her, she has no loyalty toward him. Just a little slut, that's all she is." Tessa was starting to feel the sensation that this was the worst thing she had ever done, but confidence took over her.

"Um…How are you, Grams?" she asked slowly. Grams glared at her slightly, but her expression softened.

"Well you may very well ask, Tessa," she said. "I'm fine at the moment." Tessa felt some of the stress disperse from her body. "Well come in, not going to freeze yourself to death are you?" The formidable manner was back, but Tessa felt much better then when she first arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A good week had passed since she had arrived at Mystic Falls, which meant she would be going to her first day of school tomorrow. Tessa had spent her week, doing the many chores Grams had asked her to which included vacuuming the carpet, washing the windows, and doing the laundry. It may have been slightly tiresome, and had it been Lisa forcing her to do all this she would have put up a fight. With Grams, however Tessa wasn't the slight bit interested to be kicked out of the house. She did everything thoroughly, that even Grams was mildly impressed. As Tessa washed the windows the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Grams grumbled as she yanked open the old, creaky front door. "Oh hello, Elena." Tessa, from her stool, which she was standing up on, took a glimpse at who was at the door. It was a very pretty girl, with dark hair, and a nice smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Lackley, how are you?"

"Fine, and you, my dear?"

"Very well, thank you," Elena said. The smile which illustrated her face was radiant like the sun's golden rays. She saw Tessa washing the windows. "Is that your granddaughter?"

"Hmm…yes," Grams said. "She'll be joining your school, when it restarts after spring break. Which is tomorrow, I suppose."

"Great!" Elena said smiling brightly up at Tessa who returned the smile warmly. Tessa got down to introduce herself. Once introductions were made, Grams invited Elena to stay for lunch, which surprised Tessa immensely. Tessa was half relieved when Elena declined politely. It was strange really, having your grandmother invite girls your age who you barely knew to lunch. Elena stayed for a little while, instructing Tessa where to go if she ever needed a place to run away from boredom. When she left Tessa smiled a little, hoping she had made a new friend.

Damon Salvatore stood at the gate looking rather haughty. His brother Stefan frowned at him.

"Damon?" he questioned, in a tone not of concern but of curiosity.

"Ah, little brother," smirked Damon. "Just thinking..."

"Did you feel anything last night...something...out of the ordinary?" Stefan asked. Damon laughed at that. _Out of the ordinary, now aren't things already out of the ordinary? _he thought with a grin. Stefan saw Elena coming towards them, from a distance.

"Elena," Damon nodded as she walked towards the gate.

"Damon," Elena said. She turned to Stefan and smiled. "I just met someone new..."

"Who?" Damon asked suddenly interested. Maybe a new toy would be nice. Elena was quick enough to know what he was thinking.

"Tessa, her name is, and she's sweet, but not what I would..." Elena wasn't sure how to finish the statement. She bit her lip, and looked up at Damon, who was all of a sudden extremely tense.

"Tessa," he whispered. "That...that...that Lackley's granddaughter."

"If you mean, Mrs. Lackley, then yes...but why?"

"No reason," Damon said quickly, but a strange sensation was beginning to take over him almost. He remembered Peter Lackley very well, he remembered his father even more, and the memory was one that never would leave him. Stefan eyed him, with suspicion, but didn't make a comment. He knew Damon to have these mood swings, if you would call them such. Damon then remembered the question Stefan had asked him before Elena had come.

"Stefan, what exactly did you feel last night?" Damon asked.

"Well as if something...as if there was something not quite right, as if there was something stirring... I don't know really."

"We should go see Bonnie," Elena said quickly, turning to Stefan with concern. "We'll ask her if she sensed something that was not in place." Damon sighed. Stefan probably was just being an idiot, and there was probably no weird "things" stirring problems. They were all just overreacting now.

"Well, if you want to see Bonnie, you can, but I'm not coming," Damon mumbled. Stefan shrugged as he turned to Elena and they rushed off. Damon turned around; he was going to have to investigate this Tessa girl, because with Peter's daughter here, he himself could be in danger. He rushed back in, plotting how he would meet Tessa.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Bonnie Bennett stood by her window, running her hand over the glimmering glass. She had seen Elena and Stefan run toward her house. They were on the property now, making their way to the door. Bonnie waited, until the doorbell rang. She, herself, was feeling very uneasy, as she had felt a huge force of evil enter Mystic Falls, last night. It was not something that she could ignore, nor did she know where the source of the power was coming from. She heard the chime of the bell and carefully she walked downstairs to open the door.

"Elena," she said, quietly. "Stefan." They were both staring at her anxiously trying to search her eyes for something that would tell them she was feeling uneasy. Bonnie wore an extremely unreadable expression, making Elena frustrated, so she burst out,

"Did, you feel anything strange last night?"

"Why?" Bonnie asked. "Because, I, well, I did. How did you know?"

"I felt it too," Stefan exclaimed. "What did you feel exactly?" Bonnie turned away from them. She was thinking of how to word her answer, how to explain the dark, horrid things she had felt, and what still sent shivers up her spine when she thought about it.

"Well, everything started to feel, dark and I felt as if an extremely strong force of evil was there, but I...I...I didn't know the source of it. It was too strong for it to be ignored; I felt it and I decided not to open my mind up to anything last night. Something was out there; it would have corrupted my mind-"

"You didn't that's the important thing. Nothing corrupted you, but I don't think you should use your powers, for a little while," Stefan said and Elena nodded in agreement. Bonnie turned to face them, full on and sighed.

"Did Damon feel anything?"

"Damon...I don't think so, but he was acting weird," Elena frowned. "He got really tense…when I-" Elena's eyes widened slightly. "When I mentioned the girl I met."

"You lost me- Who did you meet?"

"You know Mrs. Lackley; her granddaughter has come to live with her. Her name's Tessa, she's nice and all," Elena explained quickly. "Don't know what was up with Damon, though. Anyway that's beside the point; we need to find out what is going on..." Stefan interrupted,

"No! Elena, absolutely not! You will not go looking for danger and then put yourself in extreme danger!"

"Elena, maybe Stefan's right," Bonnie mumbled, but Elena heard her.

"I don't see what's up with the both of you. Why can't I-"

"Because, you will not get yourself hurt! I wouldn't be able to bear it...I..I love you," Stefan said weakly. Elena looked up at him and Bonnie felt as if she has suddenly become an outsider. Elena squeezed Stefan's hand, and sighed.

"But I think we can still investigate the situation, we won't go in depth, but we could take a look at things, without getting involved."

"I suppose that's fair enough," Bonnie said turning to Stefan who nodded his approval.

"But wait a couple of days before you look into it. The power is especially strong when it is first unleashed, and I'll help you look into it, but you have to promise me- the both of you- that we will not get involved," he said. Both girls smiled and nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: _So this is it_, Tessa thought, staring at the building which loomed over her. She felt slightly nervous, but for the most part she was extremely anxious. Starting a new school was something every person might feel anxious about whether they were entering kindergarten or twelfth grade. She took a deep breath and headed up the school stairs. She spotted Elena talking to a girl, a friend of hers probably. Elena seemed nice, so Tessa was hoping she had found a friend in. A blonde girl was walking up the steps as well. She looked up at Tessa and squinted as if the sun was in her eyes.

"Are you new?" she asked.

"Umm...yeah. Tessa," Tessa answered putting her hand out. The girl grabbed it and shook it hard.

"Caroline...Forbes," she smiled. "Well, anyways, catch you later, I've got to run to class!" She gave Tessa one last glance before rushing off. Tessa shrugged, she seemed like a nice girl, for the most part.

"Tessa!" a voice called. Tessa looked up and saw Elena and her friend approaching.

"Hi, Elena," Tessa grinned. Elena smiled.

"I thought I'd introduce my friend, Bonnie."

"Hi," Bonnie said. "Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah, nice meeting you too," Tessa said. The three girls made their way to class. They entered their first period class and sat down, as all three of them shared that class. Tessa glanced at the schedule to see what her teacher's name was. Alaric Saltzman, it read clearly on the page. Mr. Saltzman turned to face the class.

"I see we have a new student today," he announced. Tessa felt herself blush. She hated attracting attention to herself and she felt very sweaty, all of a sudden, as all eyes turned upon her.

"Theresa Lackley," Saltzman said, speculating her with his all- seeing eyes.

"Tessa's fine," she said quietly.

"Tessa, then," Saltzman grinned and Tessa tried to pay attention during the rest of class, but she often felt someone or the other staring at her intently, drinking her in. It made her feel sick, but she knew it wouldn't be good for future experiences to go home unwell on her first day back at school. The rest of the day, was a blur for Tessa, as she tried to move out of the spotlight. She was relieved to return home. Before she did, however, Saltzman approached her.

"Tessa!" he called down the hallway.

"Mr. Saltzman?"

"Just wanted to let you know that if you have any kinds of conflicts with school, my door is open."

"Oh of course," Tessa said, watching him leave her. She frowned, there wasn't something right about Saltzman, and she wasn't sure why.

'

Elena rested her dark head on Stefan's bare chest as he stroked her dark hair softly with his fingers. It was late, Elena knew, but she wasn't exactly tired.

"Bonnie and me...we've decided to look into the power tomorrow," Elena whispered.

"Yes, I know. I'll help, but you have to be careful," Stefan murmured.

"I will."

"But you always get into some kind of trouble-" Stefan shuddered with the memories of past experiences. Elena twisted to face him.

"I won't, not this time, I promise," Elena said. Stefan didn't answer, and turned away. "Look at me. I love you, and I promise you Stefan. I wouldn't lie if I loved you." Stefan shifted to face Elena.

"I love you too, Elena," he whispered. Then they kissed. Their lips pushing against each other, and Elena felt the utter bliss of love burst into her, carrying through her blood all the way into her heart. Stefan kissed more passionately and it was all Elena could do in order to remind herself to breathe. They pulled apart gently. Stefan cupped Elena's chin in his hand and studied her. Elena's smile was beyond radiance, itself. And then they kissed once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Damon had spent over a week devising his plan to meet Tessa. He needed to meet her and he had to meet her in the best way possible. It had been nearly ten days now, since Elena first mentioned Tessa moving here, and now Damon had almost completed his plan. Now all he had to do was see...Bonnie. She was a witch and her powers would come handy, in some situations. He wanted her to come along; after all, he knew Elena would have already introduced Bonnie to Tessa. He raced out the door when he saw her approaching the house. She wore a strange expression when she faced him. Bonnie suppressed the sigh, she wanted to let out as Damon came towards her.

"Why did you drag me out here, Damon?" Bonnie asked coolly. She was trying to keep a glare in her eyes, for if Damon ever knew how she felt about him...if he ever learned...it would be absolute doom, for her. For, Damon couldn't love, and anyways his "toys" were certainly the exact opposite type of girl she was.

"I need your help," he panted. He reminded Bonnie of a puppy dog, which almost made her laugh. Damon and puppy dogs were two totally different extremes.

"What for?"

"The new girl, Tessa." Bonnie rolled her eyes at this and answered in a challenging voice,

"No, she is not the kind of toy you're looking for. She's very thin and certainly not voluptuous." Damon glared at Bonnie. Of course she would say that. Bonnie never took him seriously.

"It's not about my romantic intentions-" Bonnie smirked at this. "- it's because I'm connected to her past. Her father Peter Lackley...I saw him murdered..."

"What?" Bonnie exclaimed. "Impossible, he was not murdered, he died of Leukemia. Mrs. Lackley has told Elena multiple times."

"That's what the old woman tells everyone, but he was killed. He was my friend back when he was young, his father was a bastard, but he was a nice guy. His dad sacrificed his son, to save himself." Bonnie's eyes widened. Damon was not making this up, she could tell from his face. He looked, all of a sudden, as if he was a hundred years older than he was. This was ironic, because Damon became a vampire in the nineteenth century, but his handsome youth would never leave him. He would stay looking like a young man forever.

"And, you want to meet her to tell her that-"

"No, not to tell her that," Damon muttered quietly, but Bonnie could hear him well. "It's to tell her that she may in danger."

"You know," Bonnie said, all of a sudden. "The night that me and Stefan felt...that outburst of crazy power....it was the night that she came..."

"I do believe, that when she put foot on the Mystic Falls ground, the place where her father died, she awoke a power that had been "asleep" for some time and it is only going to hurt her. The part that I still need to figure out is what this power is about. Stefan and Elena don't have enough information to discover what the power is. You see, the night her father got murdered, I witnessed him dying, but I never saw the murderer. I only knew that this was a vampire murder. There was no way I could save him; it was too late to give him my blood, because it happened too fast. It was night, and I saw him lying there and I ran up to him and he whispered_... I'm my father's sacrifice, but keep my daughter safe, Damon_...I remember it as if it was yesterday. After he said that he just died, there was nothing, I could do," Damon looked at Bonnie. He had never told anyone else that before and he wasn't sure why he had told it all to Bonnie, but he felt she would keep it a secret. Bonnie only felt extreme sympathy for Damon and she grabbed his hand. Damon clutched it tightly.

"Don't worry," Bonnie said. "We'll meet her...tomorrow, I promise." Damon smiled at her sincerely and Bonnie learned that life was full of surprises. That even Damon Salvatore had a heart. It made her smile to think so, and she did. She turned to look up at Damon, who was no longer there. Bonnie rolled her eyes, but of course he would not change completely. He was still selfish, vanishing without bothering to say good-bye. But still she had given him her word, and she would keep it. Tomorrow, Tessa would learn that she, indeed, was in great danger.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The next day came rolling in quickly. The weather was cool and the slightly windy, as Tessa stepped out of Grams's house. She took a deep breath of the crisp Saturday's aromas, which danced around her. She set off on her walk, smiling to herself. A beautiful day, today was, and nothing could ruin it. Her walk moved into a skip as she pranced her way toward the Mystic Falls Park. The deep green of the grass, made her smile. She moved towards the swings. There was no one there at the park, as she sat down gently on the swing. Just then a hand went over her mouth. Tessa let out a shriek, but all of a sudden she lost consciousness.

Bonnie Bennett was running quickly. She had just received news that the old woman friend of Elena's, Mrs. Lackley, had been found dead in her house. And Tessa had mysteriously disappeared. If this was Damon's idea of "meeting" Tessa, it was not funny. She was appalled at him and just when her idea had improved, it fell back to where it had always been, perhaps even lower. She burst into his house. Elena and Stefan were sitting at a table, talking with serious expressions. The both looked up.

"Bonnie?" Elena frowned. "I was looking for you...you weren't-"

"I need to see Damon, right now," Bonnie interrupted. Both Elena and Stefan looked taken aback by her tone.

"He's upstairs, in his room," Stefan said quickly and without so much as a "thank you," Bonnie raced up the stairs. She rammed on Damon's door. To think, she had feelings for the idiot. Damon burst open the room door.

"What the hell?" he yelled at her. "What's with the banging on my door like a maniac?" Bonnie didn't answer, but glared at him. Damon rolled his eyes. "Well, you can go, if you have nothing to say." He moved to close the door, but Bonnie stood in the doorway, to hold it open.

"Why did you do that, Damon?" Bonnie fumed. "Where is she, anyways?" Damon looked perplexed.

"I have no idea-"

"Don't pretend you don't know, what happened."

"Enlighten me, will you? What did I do wrong?"

"You killed Mrs. Lackley. The doctors can't figure out how she died, but they think it was a murder. Both, me and you know it was a Vampire kill. Oh and you kidnapped Tessa. Where is she, anyways?" Damon let out a mirthless laugh.

"Wow, Bonnie. You really think I'd stoop that low. Ha! Imagine, Peter told me to _protect_, his daughter. Not to keep her hostage. And I didn't kill the old woman, either."

"Well, if you didn't," Bonnie mumbled, but she was still unconvinced. "Who did? It was certainly not Stefan."

"I'll remind you, that Stefan and I are not the only vampires who exist."

"Well, then who did?"

"Use your head, probably the same person who killed Peter," Damon said impatiently. Bonnie felt a wash of embarrassment wash over her. Damon was capable of doing something like this, but in this case, it wouldn't make sense, if he was the culprit.

"Only this poses a dilemma," Bonnie burst out. "Now she is in danger, isn't she? And we have no way to protect her!"

"I know," Damon said. "I give up. But you were a real help, Bonnie. Truly." Bonnie smiled. Damon reached over and put his hand on her cheek. Just then Stefan raced up the stairs. Damon immediately put his hand down.

"I think, I know what the power is, and who it is going to!" he exclaimed. He beckoned them to follow down stairs where Elena was waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Alaric Saltzman knew what had happened. The death of Peter's mother came as a blow to him. His greatest friend's mother. And now his daughter..._Theresa_. He knew where she was...the only place she would be....but getting to her in time, would be a totally different affair. She could be drained right now, drained of her very own blood. It happened to Peter, so why shouldn't it happen to her. Saltzman took out his phone and dialed a number. It was a risk, he knew, considering if she was where he thought she was, he was upping the chances that she would be killed, if she hadn't been already. A malicious voice came from the other end of the call.

"I was wondering, when I would hear from you_...Alaric,_" the raspy voice hissed.

"Gustav, where is your master?" Alaric frowned at hearing his voice so rather inhuman. And Gustav wasn't even a vampire.

"With his new consort."

"Consort...you can't mean Peter Lackley's daughter!" Alaric was at his wit's end. It was too late; he had been a fool for even calling.

"There in Master's room, Master says her blood is so very sweet!" Gustav cackled, sending shivers up Alaric's spine. Dread was filling his mind. He was certain Gustav would tell his _Master _that his old friend Alaric Saltzman gave him a call. And what would Nolan do then? Speed up the process by stop seducing the girl and drain her blood right away. Alaric groaned inwardly. It was a Saturday, and probably the worst he ever encountered. As Alaric's discourage took the worst of him, a mental image filled his head. Peter and him, having coffee at a small hot beverages shop. The conversation that he remembered filled his mind...

_"Alaric," Peter smiled. "How kind of you to invite me for tea." Alaric had waved the thank you down._

_"Anything, Pete, but you wanted to talk." Peter's face became serious, all of a sudden. He looked up at Alaric with tears in his eyes. _

_"Firstly, Lisa is having a baby. You are the first to know besides, Lisa, me, and Doctor Garstull. You are my closest friend; I have a tendency to tell my best friends these things."_

_"What an honor, Pete! And a huge congratulations to you and Lisa," Alaric beamed. He felt extremely happy. "May God bless a safe birth of the child." Peter smiled at his friend._

_"And so, I hope it will be a baby boy. But a girl is fine to. If it were a boy, I want the name Jonah, or Gordon, or perhaps...Damon. And if it is a girl I want, Theresa."_

_"Great, Pete!" Alaric exclaimed, a little too loudly, for a few heads turned away from their newspapers and books._

_"But Alaric, I fear for the baby's safety. I am being stalked."_

_"By a vampire...why?" whispered Alaric, suddenly startled with fear. _

_"My father is a dangerous gambler in the vampire games, I call it. He struck to many bargains and one was to....stalk his son, instead of him."_

_"But do you know the identity of this vampire?"_

_"If I did, I would have told you by know, but unfortunately I have no idea," Peter murmured sadly. "But I am not scared for myself. It is Lisa and our unborn child..."_

_"Peter, we need to figure this out...I promise I will...._

Alaric shook his head. The memory had made him think. And then he realized something. If Tessa had been a boy, she could have been named Damon. Alaric had met a Damon...Damon Salvatore. They didn't know each other very well, but Alaric knew Stefan as his student in school. He had to find Damon, there might be a connection. But first he had to save the girl...unless it was already too late. With as much strength, he could pursue he pulled himself together, and raced to Nolan's mansion. He banged on the door and Gustav opened it. He gave him a toothy smile.

"Master! He has arrived!" Gustav yelled. A loud laugh bestowed upon the house.

"Alaric, my friend...Welcome!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: She was standing there stripped to her underwear, and shivering. Tears welled in her eyes. She would rather have die than have sex with this guy. But she did, and now she was no longer a virgin and she was going to die. There were splatters of blood, where he had already bit her. _What was he_, was the question that had filled her mind. _And what did he want with her. _Now she knew he was a vampire…but there were questions she needed answers. She felt dizzy, already by the loss of blood. She wanted to throw up and run away. He walked into the room and smiled at her.

"My friend is here, you see, and I dealt with him. He is going to the forest, where I am planning to kill you. And I will let you run to the forest, but Alaric stands no chance against me."

"Look, Nolan," Tessa said calmly. "If you're going to kill me like you did to my grandmother, I have questions which I want answers for. I think that I have a right to know." Nolan smiled and laughed.

"Fair enough, what do I have to loose? I will answer everything truthfully. But then you must go to the forest, immediately."

"Fine," Tessa mumbled. "Firstly, did you kill my father?"

"Yes, I killed him the same way I killed your grandmother. The sheriff knows it was a "vampire" attack, but she will never know who did it..."

"Look, I don't need details...just answer my questions. So, what does, this guy Alaric Saltzman have to do with all this?"

"He was your father's greatest friend. Stuck by him, at all times."

"Okay. And my grandfather, how does he tie into all of this?"

"Your grandfather, struck bargains with vampires. For money, jewelry, protection. But he had to repay them, which is where he made a mistake, you see. He let these 'loans' go for too long. He owed me a lot, so I began to stalk him, readying the day I would kill him. He became frightened. He begged other vampires to stop me. So, finally, in order to save himself, he asked me to stalk his son, Peter. I agreed, but only because, I knew I would still kill the old man. When you were born in Seattle, I was visiting. You let out this extremely strong energy which connected you to Mystic Falls. I knew that this energy was a strong force. I wanted it, to make myself have more power. I was thirsty for it, almost as thirsty as I am for human blood. So, I knew that I had to keep stalking Peter. When I killed him, a prophecy was formed. Basically it said that the daughter of Peter and Lisa, when sixteen, at exactly 08:54:09 pm, steps foot on Mystic Falls' soil, the power would be unleashed, and the first person to capture it, would own it. It was no coincidence that your mother and Luke married. I made them meet, and made sure they were married. I killed all of your relatives, beforehand, and left your grandmother who resided in Mystic Falls alive. I caused the delay at Baggage Claim when you first came. I stole some valuable items, so it wouldn't seem very suspicious. I did everything precisely, and I made sure the drive from Georgetown airport only lasted one hour and twenty minutes. I then killed your grandmother because she was of no use to me. The only relatives of yours I will leave be are your mother and your step- father. I was the reason, for the many complicated problems in your life."

"How dare you," Tessa cried. "You wanted this power so badly; you killed practically my entire family for it. And now, you will kill me. Why?"

"I'm sorry," Nolan smirked. "There is no other choice. No other vampire can stop me, now. It is the end..."

"I can't believe you. There is not ounce of love in you...not even the tiniest bit!"

"Do you remember, by the terms, in which I would answer every question you had on?"

"Yes..."

"Then go, tell Alaric, I am coming. Gustav is already there."

"Doing what?"

"Go, and see," Nolan snapped and Tessa ran, she ran for her life. She cherished the last minutes that she would stand upon this Earth. She didn't care that she was naked and splattered in her own blood. Her head was swimming with horrible thoughts. Her body was weakened and she felt sick to her stomach. She was not sure how many people knew when and how they were going to die. But she did, and nothing in the world mattered anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: She ran into the forest gasping for breath. Alaric raced up to her.

"Tessa," he whispered. She was naked and bloodied, and he wasn't sure what to think. Gustav was cackling as he created a humungous bonfire.

"Why is he doing that?" Tessa asked. She was weeping. Her tears mingled with her blood. "Please help me."

"I don't know, what to do, Tessa..." Alaric mumbled. "I really think the only person who stands a chance at saving you is Damon Salvatore. He's another vampire. I don't know, but he's somehow connected."

"He's the vampire, who Peter entrusted the protection of his daughter in," another voice boomed. Tessa held her breath, Nolan had arrived. "The morning of the day, Peter died, he told Damon, that if anything happened to him, to please look after his daughter. He didn't do a particularly great job, at keeping you safe, however."

"But...how did my dad know him?" Tessa said, her voice quivering. She wrapped her arms across her breasts, feeling cold.

"They were friends, back when your dad was in his late teens, early twenties. Damon's been the same age, for over a hundred years."

"Where is he, right now?"

"Probably at the Salvatore boarding house, where him and his brother Stefan stay," Nolan said. Tessa thought she had seen Stefan Salvatore, at school. "Anyways enough talking. Gustav, get Mariah!" A woman came out of nowhere and grabbed Alaric by the throat."

"Who's that?" Tessa asked.

"Vampire...who gives me a hand, when I need it," Nolan grinned. He grabbed Tessa, putting his fangs on her throat and bit. Tessa screamed. She screamed of agony, but she also screamed for her father. The great Peter Lackley. She screamed for her bastard grandfather, for her reclusive grandmother. For Luke and Lisa. For Alaric, her dad's best friend. She screamed for Damon Salvatore, the vampire who was supposedly supposed to protect. She screamed until she could scream no more. Until she was a pathetic corpse, lying in Nolan's arms. Alaric choked, as Mariah tightened her grip on his neck. Carefully he reached into his back pocket, and took out a blade. He stabbed it through Mariah. He pushed it in harder, until she was a vampire corpse. Nolan shrieked with terror. "You fool!"

"You killed Peter's daughter, I killed the whore, you call a sidekick," Alaric yelled. He was angry, he could feel it, bubble and burst through him. Nolan glared at him and tossed Tessa's corpse into the burning fire.

"There!" he screamed. "She will become just ash."

"No!" a voice yelled. Nolan looked up. Stefan Salvatore was racing at him at full speed. Nolan made a face at him and smirked.

"Think you can kill me then," Nolan laughed. He was starting to sound slightly deranged. "Try Salvatore, try!" He took out a gun, and readied his aim. "I know you live on animal blood, Salvatore. You don't have the strength to withstand a gunshot. It will be easy to stake you then." He pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. Stefan collapsed to the ground, the pain pushing through him. Nolan grabbed the blade and was about to puncture it through Stefan, when a blade came through him. Nolan groaned, seeing who his killer was. He looked at him.

"You wait...Saltzman..." he hissed at him and became a vampire corpse. Stefan, still gasping, looked at Alaric, nodding his gratitude. A voice sounded.

"Stefan!"

"Elena?" Stefan whispered as she came running toward him. She knelt by him and pulled out the bullet.

"Oh...Stefan, Are you alright?" she said, tears coming out of her eyes. He nodded, as she helped him into a sitting position. Two other figures joined the scene. Bonnie frowned.

"What happened?" she asked, a look of concern wash over her, when she saw Stefan.

"Tessa's dead," Elena said quietly. Bonnie's eyes dilated in fear. She gasped. The other figure, who had come with her walked closer.

"She's dead, Damon, we're too late," Bonnie cried. Damon looked half amused.

"Yeah, I know," he said.

"You knew...what? That she was dead?"

"Yes, not much of a surprise..."

"You don't care, do you?"

"Sort of, but by saving her, I'd be putting myself in danger," he said to Bonnie. Bonnie stared at him. When she thought Damon had some good in him, she had been proved wrong once again.

"You selfish bastard," she screamed. She didn't care if she was losing control of herself. This was too much. She burst into a fit of tears and ran. She ran, all the way, to her grandmother's house, weeping uncontrollably. Damon turned to Stefan, Elena, and Alaric.

"I'm hungry," he announced and disappeared. Alaric nodded his farewell to Elena and Stefan, and he to left the forest. Elena looked at Stefan.

"Oh, Stefan," she murmured as he pulled his arms around her. And they sat like that, until the sun came out the next morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Final Chapter- Since this chapter culminates "Mystic Falls: Strange Happenings", I thought I'd put the disclaimer in...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the Vampire Diaries characters from neither the book nor television serial. The only characters I own are the ones purely out of my imagination. This plot isn't based on anything on particular, but you may draw similarities between some of the plots in the VD show/ books. I owe everything to the VD books and show and I don't own anything of VD. **

Chapter 10:

_Dear Diary,_

_These days, I am not sure, what adventure my life will take me on. It is difficult to understand, everything...why things seem to occur where I am. But, I'm not one to complain. Only today, a vampire named Nolan killed Tessa. He drained her body of blood and burned her in a fire which his "servant" Gustav made. Nolan almost killed Stefan, as well. Alaric Saltzman killed Nolan and saved Stefan's life. Stefan is still recovering from being shot at, the bullet going through. I told him, that he must rest for a few days. And, I'm going to see him again later today. Bonnie is not been doing well. Whenever I try to call her, she doesn't pick up. I even tried to go to her house, but she's not answering the doorbell. Once when I went over her grandma opened the door and told me that Bonnie needs some time to leave be. So, it is tough, not hearing from your best friend for over a day. Tomorrow is Monday, so I hope to catch up with her in school. For now, I've talked with Caroline a bit. She's invited me for lunch at the Mystic Grill, and I was happy to accept. Jeremy got an A on his history report, which I was pleasantly surprised. Jeremy and As, don't usually go hand in hand. Well, that's how life changes I suppose. Right now, I keep watching the clock...I'm waiting for Caroline. But after lunch, I promised Stefan I would visit, so I hope Caroline won't be late. Speaking of which, someone I've seen enough of is Damon. He keeps stopping by; with these weird ideas...I really just try and ignore him. Oh, and Damon has found a new "puppet." UGH! I would have felt sympathy for the girl, if she wasn't forty years old. Yes, Damon hooked up with a forty- year- old woman, who is extremely rich. She just moved into Mystic Falls, bursting through with her Louis Vuitton suitcases. Technically, Damon hooking up with forty- year-olds isn't that weird, considering he's one hundred and sixty five- or something like that. Still, to everyone else it's strange. And then again, Damon and strange are basically the same thing. I can smell the cookies Jenna is making. Their burning a bit, but oh well. They are certainly better than any cookies, I've ever made. But then again, I don't know if I have ever baked cookies...._

_-Elena Gilbert 4/7/10 _


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